Longitudinally adjustable mounting for a ski binding

ABSTRACT

A mounting for a ski binding including a runner (1) attached to the ski and a plate (2) slidably mounted on the runner and provided with a latch (3) that may be released by means of a lever (6) pivotably mounted under the plate (2) and extending through an aperture (10) therein. The lever and/or the plate are provided with an aperture sealing means for at least approximately sealing said aperture at least when the binding is in its operative position. The sealing means consists of, e.g., a rigid portion (11) and a flexible portion (13) of the lever.

The subject of the present invention is a longitudinally adjustablemounting for a ski binding which comprises a runner, fastened to the skiand having a row of notches parallel to the axis of the runner, and aplate slideably mounted on the runner and bearing a latch engaged, underthe action of a spring, in at least one notch of the runner so as toimmobilize the plate on the runner, this plate being provided with areleasing lever mounted so as to pivot, under the plate, about a pinperpendicular to the plate and passing through the plate via an apertureso as to have one end accessible for operating the lever.

Such mountings are used for top-of-the-range demonstration skis and skisfor hiring. For top-of-the-range skis, it is important that the middleof the boot occupies a defined position on the ski, whatever the size ofthe boot. For this purpose, the front binding and the rear binding areboth mounted adjustably and are both moved when there is a change ofboot size. In such a mounting, snow and dirt may get in between theplate and the runner through the aperture provided for passage of thereleasing lever. The ice which forms under the plate and the dirt mayprevent adjustment.

The object of the invention is to remedy this drawback.

For this purpose, the mounting is such that, in the plate-leverassembly, at least one of these components is provided with a means forclosing off said aperture, which closes off, at least approximately,said aperture at least in the position of use of the binding.

In principle, it is not necessary to close off the aperture in thereleased position, given that the releasing lever occupies this positiononly for short periods and under conditions such that the risk of snowor dirt getting in is extremely low.

The closure means may consist of a component which moves with thereleasing lever or of a fixed component, such as one or two flexiblelips or a brush.

The appended drawing illustrates, by way of example, two embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a mounting, seen from above, with the plate partiallycut away so as to show the releasing lever.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the same mounting in the direction A.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative form of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial view, in vertical section, of a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative form of this second embodiment.

FIGS. 6A-6C are section views showing various closure devices for thewindow from the vantage points such as that shown by A--A of FIG. 1.

The mounting illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises, fastened to a ski,a runner 1 on which a plate 2 is mounted, said plate being able to movealong the runner 1 and being able to be locked on this runner by meansof a latch 3 engaged in notches 4 of the runner 1 under the effect of aspring 5. The plate 2 can be released by means of a releasing lever 6which is pivoted under the plate 2 about a pin 7. The lever 6 isfurthermore provided with an actuating rod 8 which passes through atransverse wall 9 of the plate 2 via an aperture 10, allowing the rod 8to move. The wall 9 is in the form of a circular arc, centered on thepin 7. Immediately behind the wall 9, the lever 6 has a circularlyarcuate part 11 whose curvature matches the internal curvature of thewall 9 and extends on each side of the rod 8. In the rest position, thispart 11 obstructs part of the aperture 10. The lever 6 furthermore has aflexible arm 12 of undulating shape terminating in a part 13 which curlsround toward the part 11 of the lever and which, in the rest position,bears, on the one hand, against the end of the aperture 10 and, on theother hand, against the end of the part 11, entering the aperture 10 soas to obstruct that part of the aperture 10 which is not obstructed bythe part 11 of the lever. The part 11 has a concavity 14 facing theterminal part 13 of the flexible arm.

When the lever is moved clockwise, in order to release the plate 2, theend 13 of the flexible arm 12 curls round in the concavity 14 of thelever, which then obstructs the rest of the aperture 10. In this case,the rest of the aperture 10 is also obstructed in the releasing positionof the lever 11.

It should be possible to dispense with the flexible arm 12 by reducingthe mechanical advantage of the lever 6. The width of the window 10could be reduced in such a way that the enlarged part 11 is sufficientto close off the window.

Given that it is not necessary for the aperture 10 to be closed when thereleasing lever is in the actuated releasing position, the aperture 10could be closed by an excrescence on the lever, said excrescence passingthrough the side of the plate 2. FIG. 3 illustrates such an excrescence11a passing through a hole 20.

The aperture 10 could also be closed off by a flexible component, forexample a bellows 30 connecting the rod 8 to the opposite edge of theaperture 10.

In the second embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, the aperture throughwhich the releasing lever 15 passes is closed by a flexible lip 16having an edge 16' fastened to the end of the plate 2 and bearing on theski 17. In the case of FIG. 1, the lip 16 could bear on a bearingsurface of the plate 2.

Despite the flexibility of the lip 16, a gap is formed on each side ofthe lever 15. In order to remedy this drawback, it is possible toprovide the lever 15 with a piece 18, as illustrated in FIG. 4, whichpiece serves both as a means for gripping onto the lever 15 and forcovering that part of the lip 16 raised by the lever 15. For thispurpose, the piece 18 has a groove 19 for passage of the lip 16.

Closure of the aperture could be improved by providing a second lipopposite the first, the lever passing between these two lips.

Instead of a lip, it is possible to use a brush 32 fastened to the frontend of the plate 2.

Given that it is not necessary for the aperture 10 to be closed when thereleasing lever is in the actuated releasing position, the aperture 10could be closed by a piece pivoted to the lever and passing through theside of the plate 2 via a hole which can serve at the same time forguiding this piece. Thus, a kind of sliding door integral with thereleasing lever is thus produced.

What is claimed is:
 1. A longitudinally adjustable mounting for a skibinding which comprises a runner (1), fastened to the ski and having arow of notches (4) parallel to the axis of the runner, and a plate (2)slideably mounted on the runner and bearing a latch (3) engaged, underthe action of a spring (5), in at least one notch of the runner so as toimmobilize the plate on the runner, this plate being provided with areleasing lever (6) mounted so as to pivot, under the plate, about a pin(7) perpendicular to the plate, this releasing lever passing through theplate via an aperture (10) so as to have one end accessible foroperating the lever, wherein, means is provided (11, 13; 16) for closingoff said aperture (10) at least when the lever is in the position of useof the binding.
 2. The mounting as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidaperture (10) is an arcuate window made in a matching arcuate transversewall (9) of the plate, the wall being centered on the pin and whereinthe closure means consists of an arcuate rigid internal part (11) of thelever, and having a width such that the window is closed for allpositions of the lever.
 3. The mounting as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid aperture is an arcuate window (10) made in a transverse wall (9) ofthe plate, the wall being centered on the pin and wherein the closuremeans consists of a matching arcuate rigid internal part (11) of thereleasing lever, having a width such that the window (10) is partiallyclosed by this part in the rest position of the releasing lever and of aflexible arm (12) of the releasing lever closing that part of the windowwhich is not closed by the rigid part of the lever in the rest positionof the releasing lever.
 4. The mounting as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe flexible part (12) of the releasing lever is a flexible arm, the end(13) of which curls round toward the rigid part (11) and bearspermanently against thc end of the aperture (10) and against one end ofthe rigid part (11), this rigid part (11) having a concavity (14) facingsaid flexible arm, in such a way that said end (13) retracts and curlsround against said concavity when the lever is moved toward the flexiblearm.
 5. The mounting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aperture is anarcuate window made in a transverse, arcuate wall of the plate andwherein the closure means consists of a lateral, arcuate excrescence(11a) on the releasing lever (6).
 6. The mounting as claimed in claim 1,wherein said aperture is an arcuate window made in an arcuate transversewall of the plate and wherein the closure means consists of a bellowsconnecting the releasing lever to the opposite end of said window. 7.The mounting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure means consistsof at least one flexible lip (16) fastened to the front end of the plate(2) and bearing on the lever (15).
 8. The mounting as claimed in claim1, wherein the closure means is a brush fastened to the front end of theplate (2) and bearing on the lever (15).